Pneumatic thread remover for looms



July 12, W49. 6. N. PETERSON PNEUMATIC THREAD REMOVER FOR L OOMS Filed July 30, 1948 INVENTOR N. PETERSON GEORGE ATTQRNEY Patented July 12, 1949 UNITED STATES PAT OFFICE .rNrr-Marw THREAD m ral? orwo us George N. *Peterson, Grafton, Mass, assignor to Grompton & :Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, tMass., ,a corporation of Massachusetts duplic on Ji l .39 8. @9 24? N 41 3 :193Glaims. '1

This invention relates to weft replenishing looms and more particularly to an improved pneumatic thread remover for the thread of an outgoing bobbin which remains after a weft replenishing operation.

In weft replenishing looms the thread of the discharged depleted shuttle remains attached to the cloth selvage after a replenishing operation. Pneumatic devices :have been proposed heretofore 'to attract this thread and remove it *from the loom after it has-been out -at-the selvag-e, but such devices, whether operating with continuous or intermittent subatmospheric pressures, have been ineifioient in their -use of air power.

It is an important object of the present invention 'to provide a pneumatic thread removing system having a controller to vary the cross-section of the air and thread passage,wherein the leakage of .air into the system is reduced -to a minimum =suiiioient to prevent escape-of a thread on non-'transferring beats -of ;the loom, and wherein the minimum .cross section -of the air passage is considerably increased (on replenishing beats :to provide additional pneumatic at.- traction to .draw a rthread :into :the lremover.

Bobbin changing looms generally have-a trans.- ferrer :arm -.-pivoted ion a :stud on which .it turns to .press .a fresh 'bobbin i-nto lathe depleted .shuttle. It is another object of -I-the dull-61711510115130 .provide a thread lremover :havingrtwo deg-recs of pneumatic attraction for ;:a .thread under control of the transferrer :arm.

Bobbin. changing ordinarilyoccurs-whenzthezlay is at front center, :butv-themeplenished shuttleiis not picked. until some laterti-meinithe loomcycle, such -as top center, EWheIIEthGEIQy is ymoved rearwardly. If the :thread ,of :the l outgoi-ng :bobbin should zbe pinched between :the front lwalllof ethe shuttle and the binder it .-.will [not be lable to ,re- SDQl'ld-lldthfi in reased pneumatic attraction until after picking. .As the shuttledeaves *thezbox :the thread :Will ;be released; and 308 11 ithen respond. to pn umat attra ti n. ltlisrazstill simmer. object o th inven ionto operate ath afo sa dt m troller so 1;,that1the nemnatic :thread remQVBr wi l hav :i s perio :Q inc ased rh umatic at.- tracti continu runt l :ait r ti k ng :t th able to a t act a revim. l ehelr ith' ead.

Wit the a d other ob ects tin :vlew wh ch wi appeana zthw ssc 'pti -rmc ed nthe in ventlon resldes th rembinationiand;ar an ement of parts hereinafter; descr bed an d set fiorth. nthe accomranyinscdra w Hwh lnamw r m gd mentg the-mventiomsset:iorth.

rE 1 L 3 eais d ie euat en viewed frfimrthfi:

cen r p th loem o a we t re enish n m hhavin t inrent n ue t reto Par s of the *loom frame and lay bei g in cross section,

ie- 2 i a pl n view q kin in th ec nl ar ow ills the stan vfo t e rese v h bbieas in b in i e ti n.

f 311w sid e e at o n an e largeds al q th ontrq lfi wn nFis- Qu 'the P ri th reof being shown in two diiierent positiohshy solid and dotted-lines,

-Fig. 4-is a section on line '44 of Fig. 3 showing on an enlarged soalethe relation of the three air passages which form a significant part of the inyention,

Fig.5 is a detailed sectionon an enlarged scale onlineii-fi, Fig-3, showing the normal relation of *two of the aforesaid thread passages,

-Fig.=6is aplan-viewlooking in'the direction of arrow-6, Fig.3, and M Fig. '7 is a fragmentary side view of one of the members of theicontroller for the air passages of the remover.

Referringparticularlyto Figs.--1 and; 2, the loom frame .1 0 has mountedthereo n a support I I carrying a pivot -|-2 for a reserve bobbin 'magazine I he-suppor-t l I has-fixed-thereon a stud l3 serving as a pivotior a tr-ansferrer arm -I 4 provided with-a latch 15. {The lay L-is provided with a shuttle box IB the front-wall I of which 'may be-slotted as at l8--to-receive a-thread cutter l9. A forwardly-extending =bunter 2B-on the lay normally passes above the latch l5, but on weft replenishing beats of :the =loom the latch 15 is raised by well-known meansintothe path of the hunter and as the lay advances the --transferrer armilfl-turns on ,stud :13 -to move a reservebobbin :from the -magazine into the shuttle --S in shuttle rbox .l6. .=A-t the .same time cutter 19 moves rearwardly atO .cut the filling thread extending fromthe shuttle eye ;E of the shuttle 1S wa da hesewa eQt ea ia e t- :C- hese qrsr tion l g ll a th :l app ache Hen; cen e an th esh bQbbi Wi -b ill il ie iw into ;the shuttle and cutter l 9 will .have cut .the fill ,ns..F aqiacent.,to th hll tl leye by the t me he Ja ea he f om c n osi ip ro th lseme r h h nd ss tiqn whi h it can as viewedin' iig. 1.

While a particular "form of thread cutter has been show-n herein the invention is notnecess-arily limited to a cutter operating adjacent to the-shuttle -eye and any other approved I form of :threadcutter. may -be-employed. If the cutter I9 is employed :thatpart of-the filling "F extend ing lbetween the front of the shuttle and box wall I! may be pinched between these parts until the shuttle is picked by the picker 2| as the lay reaches top center while moving rearwardly. As the lay approaches its back center position a vertical rod 22 will move upwardly. Rod 22 is reciprocated vertically by a connection to the lay, not shown herein but similar to that shown, for instance, in prior Patents Nos. 2,219,768 and 2,336,321. As the lay moves forwardly rod 22 descends, and as the lay moves rearwardly the rod rises. for every beat of the loom. The transferrer arm has extending laterally therefrom a rod 23 for a purpose to be described.

The loom frame supports a temple 25 having the usual temple cutter 29 which will ordinarily operate when the lay is on front center to cut any thread extending from the cloth C toward the shuttle boX and in the path of the cutter 26.

The latter is ordinarily set far enough forward in the loom so that it will not cut the thread F on the transferring beat of the loom, but will cut this thread several picks later due to advance movement of the cloth.

The loom may have a thread collector 21 in the or form of a hollow cylinder connected at its upper end to a pipe or hose 28 by means of which subatmospheric pressures are created within the cylinder 21, either continuously or intermittently. The cylinder rests on a base 29 supporting a tube 39 which is connected to the interior of cylinder 21.

The matter thus far described may be of usual construction and operate in usual manner.

The present invention provides a controller K for efficiently using the reduced air pressure in the cylinder 21 to prevent retrograde escape of a thread in the remover, and also provide increased pneumatic attraction for that part of the thread F which remains connected to the cloth after a replenishing operation. The controller comprises two members which are mounted for movement relative to each other on stud I3. One of these members, designated at is held in adjusted angular position on stud l3 by a set screw 36. This member 35 has fitted thereinto a pipe or tube 31 having a relatively large primary air and thread passage 38 therein communicating with a similar passage 39 in member 35. The tube 31 is.

connected by a hose H to the previously described tube 39, and whenever subatmospheric pressures exist within the cylinder 21 they will also exist in the thread passages 38 and 39.

The other member 49 of the controller comprises a fiat plate 4| having a bore 42 to receive the stud l3 so that the plate can pivot on the stud. The plate 4| has an extension or operating arm or element 43 the rear end of which lies under the rod 23 on the transferrer arm, and has also a wing or second element 44 over the rod 22.

The stud I3 has a reduced threaded end 45 pro vided with a nut 46 which holds a bowed leaf spring 41 against the plate 4|. The spring 41 comprises means for holding the plate 4| fric-' tionally against the adjacent fiat face 48 of member 35, and serves to hold plate 4| in the two operating positions which it can assume relative to member 35, as will be described.

A tube 59 having a relatively large primary thread and air passage 5| therein is secured in any approved manner, as by welding orsoldering, to the plate 4| and is connected by a flexible hose 52 to a thread remover 53 mounted on the temple 25 adjacent to the cloth C. The remover 53 has The rod has a complete reciprocation 4 a rearwardly opening intake mouth 54 to receive the thread F.

A third or secondary air and thread passage 55 of much less cross sectional area than the passages 38 or 5| is provided by a narrow shallow groove cut in the face 48 of the member 35 on an arc concentric with the axis of stud l3, see Fig. 7. Passage 55 communicates with the air passages 39 and 39 and is long enoughto communicate with air passage 5| when member 49 is in the normal position thereof, see for instance Fig. 4.

Under normal conditions during non-transferring beats of the loom the members 35 and 49 will be in their normal relative position shown in 38 and 5|.

full lines in Fig. 4 so that passages 39 and 5| will be out of register and ofiset relatively to each other and connected by the relatively small air passage 55. Under these conditions the leakage of air into the system will be very small and will be determined largely by the cross sectional area of secondary passage 55. The latter will be large enough to pass the thread F and sufiicient air to maintain reduced air pressures in the mouth 54 slightly below atmospheric pressure but sufficient to prevent a thread in the mouth from falling out of it. Normally the rear extension 43 of member 49 will be in the raised position shown in lull lines in Fig. 3.

When a weft replenishing operation occurs transferrer arm |4 moves the rod 23 downwardly to rock the member 40 from the full line to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 or until the thread passages 38 and 5| register, or are in alignment, as suggested by the dotted lines in Fig. 4. At this time the lay will be on front center and the full effect of the subatmospheric pressures within tube 31 are communicated directly through passage 5| to the remover mouth 54. As a result there is a considerable increase in the volume of air rushing into the mouth 54 and an increase in the pneumatic attraction exerted on thread F. The transferrer arm I 4 is a part of the loom which has a motion incident to a replenishing operation of the loom, but the invention is not necessarily limited to arm M as a placing means for member 49.

As the lay moves rearwardly after a transferring operation the transferrer arm rises, but the friction between the two members 35 and 49 caused by spring 41 holds the parts in the dotted line position shown in Fig. 3 until after the shuttle is picked from the shuttle box. As soon as the shuttle is picked the thread F, if it had previously been pinched between the front wall l1 and the shuttle, will be released and drawn into the mouth 54 and along the hose 52. As the lay approaches back center the rod 22, acting as a resetting means, will rise and by its engagement with wing 44 will rock the member 49 back to its normal position, thereby moving the thread passage 5| from the dotted to the full line position of Fig. 4 and interposing the air passage 55 as a restricted air conducting duct between passages If the thread F should extend from passage 5| to passage 38 prior to return of the members to normal position it will be moved along passage 55 as rod 22 raises wing 44. At a subsequent time the temple cutter 26 will sever the thread F close to the cloth, and the thread will then be drawn through passages 5|, 55, 39 and 38 to the thread collector 21.

- From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention provides a pneumatic thread remover system providing variable degrees of pneumatic attraction in mouth 54 for the thread F, the

attraction being relatively low under normal conditions and being relatively high at the time r a. bobbin transfer. This variation in ability to attract a thread is due to the fact that the system has two degrees of pneumatic resistance to the passage of air therethrough, the resistance being normally relatively high to create a low degree of attraction, and being considerably reduced at the time of a Weft replenishing operation to permit an increase the pneumatic attraction. The reduced pneumatic attraction always :be sufficient to hold'a thread in the mouth 51, but Willbe low enough to reduce leakage or air. into the system to .a minimum compatible with retention of a thread in the mouth. The relatively large primary. air passages 38 and 5 i are. normally 'ofiset with respect to each other and connected by the relatively small secondary passage .55 which is large enough to pass a thread but small enough .to conserve thesubatm-osp'heri'c pressures within the system. The spring 41 acts to hold the large or primary air passages in alignment until after the shuttle has been picked on, a weft replenishing beat of the loom, thereby pemnitting the system to attain control of the threadFeven though the latter had been pinched between the shuttl'e-an'd box wall ll prior to picking. The controller K comprises two relatively movable members each having a relatively large air passage therein and at least one of them having a restricted air duct or passage 55. The invention is not limited to the presence of thisv restricted duct in member 35, and it will be sufficient if it is in either of the members, or partly in each of them. While the invention has been used :in connection with cylinder 21 serving as a source of continuous suba'tmospheric pressures, it is not thus limited, since the pressures within cylinder 21 may if desired be produced intermittently as has been done heretofore.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the forego'irig'specific disclosure may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the inverition.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing loom having a thread re,- maining subsequent to a replenishing operation, the-system having an :air and thread passage with asourceof subatmospheric pressures at one end of the passage and an intake mouth for the,

thread at the other end of the passage, a controller in the system intermediate said source and, mouth through which the air passage extends,

said controller capable of assuming two positions in one of which the minimum cross section of that part of the air passage in the controller is relatively small and in the other position which the minimum cross section of said part of the passage in the controller is relatively large, and means operating incident to a replenishing operation of the loom changing said controller from said one position thereof to said other posi- I tion'thereof.

2. In a pneumatic thread remover system for aweft'replenishing loom having a thread remaining subsequent to a replenishing operation, the,v system havingan air and thread passage therethrough, -a controller in said system for varying the cross-sectional area of part of the air and thread passage, said controller in the normal position thereof causing said part of the passage to have a relatively small cross section and in.

17 5, to awefrt replenishingwneration:ofithe loom.

and in another position thereof enabling air to pass from one to the other of said two passages without passing through said one passage, andmeans operative incident to a Weft replenishing operation of the loom to move said :control-ler from the normalp'os'ition thereof to the other position thereof;

4!. In :a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing loom having a thread remaining subsequent to a replenishing operation, a controller in said system having relatively movable members each of which has a primary air passage therein oi relatively large cross =sec-' tion and at least one ofsaid members having a secondary air passage therein of relatively small cross section, said controller in the normallpositi'on thereof having .saidprimary passages offset with respect "to each other to require a ir moving from :one primary passageto the other primary passage .to pass also through said secondary pasaircan :pass from one of th-em to the other without passing from said-secondary passage, andmeans operating incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom to move the controller from the :normal position thereof to said other position thereof. 7

5. In :a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing zloomhav ing a thread remaining, subsequent to :a replenishing operation, the systemahaving :a source-oi subatmospheric pressures andan intake mouth for the thread, a controller in :said system determining the pneumatic resistance to the passage of air from said mouth tosaid source, said-controller in the normal condition thereof :causing the system to havea relatively high pneumatic resistance and in another condition thereof causing said system to have a relatively low pneumatic resistance, and means altering saidcontroller from the normal condition thereof: to. ithe other condition thereof incident to arweit replenishing operation of the loom.

=6. In a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing. loom having a thread remaining subsequent 'to a replenishing operation, the :systemlhaving :a. :source of subatmospheric pressures andan intake mouth for the thread, a controller in said iSYStGIIlltO determine the amount of. pneumatic attraotionfor the thread existing ineaid-mouth, saidlcontroller in the normal-con-v dition thereof causing said pneumatic attraction .to be relatively low but sufiicient to preventretrograde .movement of a thread in the mouth in a'direction out of said mouth, said controller in another condition thereof causing the system to have a, ;-relatively :high degree of pneumatic attraction for said thread, and means causingsaid controller to alter from .said normal condition thereof to the other condition thereof incident- '7. In a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing loom having a thread remaining subsequent to a replenishing operation, the system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, a controller in said system for determining the degree of pneumatic attraction for said thread existing in said mouth, said controller in one condition thereof enabling said source to exert a relatively low pneumatic attraction only for said thread at said mouth and in another condition thereof enabling said source to exert a relatively high degree of pneumatic attraction for said thread at said mouth, and means altering said controller from said one condition thereof to the other condition thereof incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom.

8. In a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing loom having a thread remaining subsequent to a replenishing operation, the system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, a controller in said system for determining the degree of pneumatic attraction for said thread existing in said mouth, said controller having two relatively movable members capable of assuming two relative positions in either of which said source is able to exert pneumatic attraction for the thread in said mouth, the controller in one of the relative positions of said members enabling said source to exert a low degree only of pneumatic attraction for the thread in said mouth and in the other relative position of said members enabling said source to exert a higher degree of pneumatic attraction for the thread in said mouth, and means moving said members from said one relative position to the other relative position incident to a replenishing operation of the loom.

9. In a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing loom having a thread remaining subsequent to a replenishing operation, the system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, a controller in said system for determining the degree of pneumatic attraction which said source can create for said thread in said mouth, said controller having three air passages therethrough capable of assuming two relative positions with respect to each other, said controller effective in one relative position of said passages to cause air to pass through all three of said passages in sequence and in another relative position of said passages enabling air to pass from one to another of said passages without being required to pass through the third passage, the third passage having a cross section considerably less than the cross section of the other two passages, and means incident to a replenishing operation of the loom moving said passages from said one relative position thereof to the other relative position thereof.

10. In a pneumatic thread remover system for a weft replenishing loom having a thread remaining subsequent to a replenishing operation, the system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, a controller in said system normally enabling said source to exert a low degree only of pneumatic attraction for the thread in the mouth and eifective incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom to exert said source to exert a higher degree for pneumatic attraction for the thread in the mouth.

11. In a pneumatic thread removing system 8 for a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box occupied on a replenishing beat of the loom by a shuttle from which extends a thread to be removed, the m having a weft replenishing operation when the lay is in front center position and picking the shuttle out of said shuttle box during backward movement of the lay, a controller for the system normally in a condition enabling said system to exert a low degree only of pneumatic attraction for the thread in said mouth, said controller in another condition thereof enabling said system to exert a higher degree of pneumatic attraction for said thread in said mouth, means operating incident to a replenishing operation of the loom to alter said controller from said normal condition thereof to said other condition thereof, and means.

operating subsequent to picking of the shuttle to return said controller from said other condition thereof to said normal condition thereof.

12. In a pneumatic thread removing system for a weft replenishing loom having a lay provided with a shuttle box occupied on a replenishing beat of the loom by a shuttle from which extends a thread to be removed, said system having an intake mouth for said thread and the loom having a weft replenishing operation when the lay is in front center position and picking the shuttle during backward movement of the lay, a controller in said system determining the degree of pneumatic attraction which said system can exert in said mouth for said thread, said controller in the normal condition thereof causing said system to exert a low degree only of pneumatic attraction for the thread in said mouth and in another condition thereof causing said system to exert a higher degree of pneumatic attraction for the thread in said mouth, means operating incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom to alter the controller from said one condition thereof to the other condition thereof, and means operating subsequent to picking of the shuttle returning said controller to said one condition thereof.

13. A pneumatic controller for the pneumatic thread remover system of a weft replenishing loom having a thread to be removed, said system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, said controller comprising two members capable of assuming two different relative positions, said members having thread passages therein so related when said members are in one relative position that said source is capable of exerting a low degree only of pneumatic attraction in said mouth for the thread, said members when in the other relative position thereof having said passages so related that the source is able to exert a higher degree of pneumatic attraction in the mouth for said thread.

14. A pneumatic controller for the pneumatic thread remover system of a weft replenishing loom having a thread to be removed, said system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, said controller having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, said controller having two relatively movable members formed with three air passages one of which has a crosssectional area less than that of either of the other two passages, said controller in one relative position of said members causing air entering said mouth and moving toward said source to move through all three of said passages and said controller in another relative position of said members permitting air entering said mouth to move toward said source by moving through said two passages only.

15. A pneumatic controller for the pneumatic thread remover system of a weft replenishing loom having a thread to be removed, said system having a source of subatmospheric pressures and an intake mouth for the thread, said controller capable of assuming two conditions in one of which said controller creates a relatively high degree of pneumatic resistance to the passage of air from said mouth to said source, and said controller in another condition thereof creating a comparatively low degree of pneumatic resistance to the passage of air from said mouth to said source.

16. In a pneumatic controller for the pneumatic thread removing system of a weft replenishing loom having a thread intake mouth and a source of subatmospheric pressures, said controller having two relatively large primary air passages therein and having also a relatively small secondary air passage therein, one primary passage connected pneumatically to said mouth and the other connected pneumatically to said source and said secondary passage connected pneumatically to one of said primary passages, said controller in one condition thereof requiring air moving from said mouth to said source to move through all of said passages and in another condition thereof requiring air moving from said mouth to said source to pass through said primary passages only.

17. In a pneumatic thread removing system of a weft replenishing loom having a thread to be removed, a part operating incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom, resetting means operating subsequent to a replenishing operation of the loom, said system having an intake mouth for the thread and a source of subatmospheric pressures, and a controller having a plurality of air passages therein pneumatically connected to said mouth and source, said controller in one condition thereof having the air passages therein so related as to create a relatively high degree of pneumatic resistance to passage of air through the controller, and said controller in another condition thereof having the air passages therein so related as to create a lower degree of pneumatic resistance to the passage of air through the controller, said part of the loom when operating changing the controller from said one condition thereof to the 10 other condition thereof, and said resetting means subsequently returning the controller from the other condition thereof to said one condition thereof.

18. In a pneumatic controller for the pneumatic thread removing system of a weft replenishing loom having a thread to be removed, the loom having a part operating incident to a weft replenishing operation of the loom and having resetting means operating subsequent to a weft replenishing operation, said controller comprising two relatively movable members having air passages therein, one of said members having an element for engagement by said part of the loom to move said one member to a position relative to the other member such that said air passages impose a relatively low degree of pneumatic resistance to passage of air through the controller, and said one member having another element for engagement of said resetting means to move said one member to a position relative to the other member such that said air passages impose a relativel high degree of pneumatic resistance to passage of air through said controller.

19. Two members for the control of a pneumatic thread removing system of a weft replenishing loom having an intake mouth for a thread and a source of subatmospheric pressures, said two members each having a relatively large primary air passage therein and one of said members having a relatively small secondary air passage therein communicating with the primary passage therein, said two members when in one relative position thereof requiring air passing through the primary passages to pass also through the secondary passage, and said member when in another relative position enabling air to pass through said primary passages without passing through said secondary passage.

GEORGE N. PETERSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,219,768 Darwin Oct. 29, 1940 2,228,225 Brown Jan. 7, 1941 2,360,389 Bergman Oct. 17, 1944 2,400,963 Turner May 28, 1946 2,431,556 Hooper et a1. Nov. 25, 1947 

